Perry, White House Point Fingers Over Refusal To Meet

Governor Rick Perry won't be meeting with President Obama during his Austin visit today.

Photo by Jeff Heimsath for KUT.

Governor Perry and President Obama aren't meeting during Obama's visit to Texas today. And, perhaps not surprisingly, each side is blaming the other.

The White House says Perry refused to meet the President in El Paso earlier today.

The Associated Press reports Perry's office said Obama declined an invitation to tour areas of the state scorched by wildfire or to meet in Austin.

Texas officials have said the White House is playing politics by denying a disaster declaration after wildfires that burned more than 2 million acres of the state. The Governor's office said it wanted to talk about that decision.

The President is arriving in Austin about 5 p.m. He's in town for a pair of fundraisers.